Vet rip off

[HomerS1]

Hi, just returned from a lovely 25 days in France. However, I do feel the need to comment on the great Vet rip off that goes on over there. We had an appointment made for 3.30 pm last Friday, correctly wthin our 'time window' for our return to UK. Vet called us in to the 'examination' room and I picked up our 3 year old Sprocker Spaniel Buttons to put her on the 'examination' table. The vet said no need but to leave her on the floor. He then gave me a worming tablet to give her, sqirted the anti tick stuff on to her back, sat down and started to fill in the passport. He then asked me what time I needed on the passport and after no more than 5 minutes took our 47 euros and bid us au revoir.
I have heard the rules may be changeing for next year so we don't have to see a vet before returning. It can't come soon enough and a lot of lazy French vets will have to start working for a living again.
Homer S

 

[emmerson]

Homer, you've been to the wrong vet! Don't know where you went, but in St Omer (handy for Dunkirk) the vet charges €37, the dog gets a good examination, is treated kindly, and the vet is a nice bloke.

 

[HomerS1]

Hi, if this is the one recommended by Camping La Chaumier then you're right. I've used him the previous two years and he does give the dog a thorough examination. This year we stayed at Chateau Gandspette and used Mr Paulus just down the road. Our dog didn't even like the cheese he uses to sweeten the wormer,
Homer S

 

[emmerson]

That's right Homer, M. Dandifoss.He would have been just as handy from Grandspette, too.

 

[BigTim]

In my opinion the whole of the "visit to the vet" scenario is a "gravy train" for the French vets. That it has actually been unnecessary has been shown by the planned changes to the rules from January 2012. I'm just hoping that the requirement for the tick treatment will be axed too. The present system's 24/48 hour limit has, also, been an unnecessary inconvenience and expense. Every year for the last few years we have had to build a campsite stop near the Pas de Calais into our holiday plans to enable us to take Max to the vet. If there hadn't been the vet visit requirement we could have an extra day in warmer climes and just arrived in time for the boat/tunnel departure.
I have used Jean Paulus, nr Gandspette, several times and agree he does NOT examine the dog. M. Dandifoss did give Max a more thorough examination but still charged us £37+ for a consultation lasting well under 15 minutes - £150/hour not bad rate pay!!!!
I can see the point of the rabies innoculation I cannot see the point in having to visit the vet for him to administer the SAME worm and tick medicines we, and most responsible dog owners administer OURSELVES throughout the rest of the year!!!
Rant over.
Incidentally M Paulus is MUCH nearer to Gandspette (under a mile) thanM Dandifoss in St Omer about 8 miles away.
Tim

 

[christine_374544204]

We have used vets in different part of France and Holland and nearly all charge around 40 Euros which is a rip off, but what can you do about. We also had to have a vet about scratch to the Dogs eye, he did suggest surgery no idea what that would cost, but he managed to carge nearly 100 Euros for the treatment. Which was some eye drops!!!

 

[NickinFrance]

In my opinion the whole of the "visit to the vet" scenario is a "gravy train" for the French vets.

It may well be but it is to comply with UK law & I somehow doubt that the UK Government would go too far out of their way to help French vets.
The real rip-off is the ferry charges for transporting animals

I'm just hoping that the requirement for the tick treatment will be axed too.

I don't think it is, as far as I remember it's just the 6 months rabies requirement that has changed.

still charged us £37+ for a consultation lasting well under 15 minutes - £150/hour not bad rate pay!!!!

That does include the medicines but even if it didn't it's almost the same hourly rate a UK Jaguar garage charges to service a car & less than half what my Barrister son-in-law charges.
We have found that French vets are considerably cheaper than UK ones.

I cannot see the point in having to visit the vet for him to administer the SAME worm and tick medicines we, and most responsible dog owners administer OURSELVES throughout the rest of the year!!!

The problem is that there are a lot of non-responsible dog owners who don't administer the treatments.
Our vet charges about 37€ which is only about 17€ more than the cost of a dose of Frontline & a worming tablet from our local chemist.

 

[chrisbee1]

My vet in the UK now charges a £38 “consultation fee” as soon as I walk through the door. Most French vets that I have used open a new packet of worming tablets (and hopefully give the remainder to you) so together with the Frontline they also sell you it’s a lot cheaper than my UK vet would charge.

 

[Robbie]

I'm just hoping that the requirement for the tick treatment will be axed too.

I don't think it is, as far as I remember it's just the 6 months rabies requirement that has changed.

The new rules will be; no blood test required and only 21 days wait following rabies vaccination; no tick treatment required. Tapeworm treatment is still under consideration.

 

[BigTim]

Actually there are a LOT of changes to the Pet Passport Scheme as shown by the following table from the DEFRA website.
I obviously support the rabies treatment but that was not part of the vet's examination in France anyway - just checked by the transport company's agents at embarkation.
The tick treatment HAS been axed and the tapeworm treatment is still being discussed. If it is decided that the tapeworm treatment is no longer necessary there will be no need to visit the vet before returning to the UK. If the tapeworm treatment is retained the time frame will be extended from the current limited 24-48 hour time frame to 1-5 days before embarkation. The current short time-frame means that it is effectively necessary to have the pets seen by a vet near to the port of embarkation and essentially means that a stop near to the port is necessary and effectively gives the vets near to the ports a strong advantage over those further away and enables them to charge whatever they wish - simple demand and supply,"charging what the market will bear"
Regarding the costs of the medication in UK I pay £7 for "Frontline" and £3.50 for "Milbemax" and no, none of the vets I have used have ever given or offered me the rest of the medicine pack to take away with me. In many cases it have would been simple for these treatments to be given and endorsed by one's own vet in the UK BEFORE travelling to the Continent.
Tim
DEFRA TABLEWhat has to be done Now From 1 January 2012 Microchip Yes Yes Rabies vaccination Yes Yes Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate) Yes Yes Blood test (dogs and cats) Yes No Pre-entry waiting period Yes Yes Length of waiting period before entry to the UK 6 months from date sample taken for blood test 21 days after vaccination against rabies Tick treatment Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) No Tapeworm treatment Yes (as for ticks) Under consideration at European level

 

[BigTim]

Actually there are a LOT of changes to the Pet Passport Scheme as shown by the following table from the DEFRA website.
I obviously support the rabies treatment but that was not part of the vet's examination in France anyway - just checked by the transport company's agents at embarkation.
The tick treatment HAS been axed and the tapeworm treatment is still being discussed. If it is decided that the tapeworm treatment is no longer necessary there will be no need to visit the vet before returning to the UK. If the tapeworm treatment is retained the time frame will be extended from the current limited 24-48 hour time frame to 1-5 days before embarkation. The current short time-frame means that it is effectively necessary to have the pets seen by a vet near to the port of embarkation and essentially means that a stop near to the port is necessary and effectively gives the vets near to the ports a strong advantage over those further away and enables them to charge whatever they wish - simple demand and supply,"charging what the market will bear"
Regarding the costs of the medication in UK I pay £7 for "Frontline" and £3.50 for "Milbemax" and no, none of the vets I have used have ever given or offered me the rest of the medicine pack to take away with me. In many cases it have would been simple for these treatments to be given and endorsed by one's own vet in the UK BEFORE travelling to the Continent.
Tim
DEFRA TABLEWhat has to be done Now From 1 January 2012 Microchip Yes Yes Rabies vaccination Yes Yes Documentation (pet passport or third country certificate) Yes Yes Blood test (dogs and cats) Yes No Pre-entry waiting period Yes Yes Length of waiting period before entry to the UK 6 months from date sample taken for blood test 21 days after vaccination against rabies Tick treatment Yes (24-48 hours before embarkation) No Tapeworm treatment Yes (as for ticks) Under consideration at European level

 

[otherclive]

I agree with the rabies injection being required but will there still be a need for the blood sample to pass the antibody test. Our second dog had virtually no response to the vaccine so had to have a second injection which then showed via the blood sample that she had generated the required level of antibodies. This requirment seems common sense to me.
However the tick treatement is fatuous as within the 24/48 hour time period the dog could have been swimming which would render the treatment largely ineffective as most seem to require a few days to ensure adequate protection. Regarding worming I agree most responsible owners treat their dogs for worms but some won't, so it's a risk assesment situation. I'd be happy to still have worming if that is the way ahead but would really like the timescale widened to avoid the additional time near a channel port or a mad dash through France.

 

[philspot1]

On the general topic of french vets, can I recommend a vet in Fayl-Billot (near Langres). I made a mistake when booking our appointment, so turned up (to him) totally unexpected. He gave the dog our tablet and applied our tick drops, then charged me....NOTHING. What a nice man!!!

 

[PaulT]

Taken a while to reply to this posting - firstly, the comment about "lazy French vets" in the original posting. Yes €47 is a lot but remember tax, NI etc in France is more than 50% so from the €47 the vet will get about $23.50, from this he has to pay for himself, his staff, premises and the materials. If 50% tax etc sounds a lot, remember all those nice roads that you drive down in France, all the rubbish free towns and villages etc etc.
What gets me wild on the subject of transporting pets abroad (and perhaps this should be a different thread) is the amount charged to take the dog out of the UK. I'm a regular traveller and each time I leave the UK my dog gets charged between £20 and £30. For what?? Most times the dog isn't checked, he stays in the car, there are no special loading facilities and (at Portsmouth) we're not even allowed in the ferry terminal so what do we pay for? I've no objection to paying to come back to the UK because at least they do something at the terminal. The outward trip is the real rip off. Perhaps PC should do an article on this?